There can be little doubt that as a general proposition foreclosing plaintiffs endeavor to prosecute foreclosures with diligence. Certainly in New York the progress is slow no matter how dedicated a lender and its counsel may be, exacerbated by borrower defensive tactics. But with interest incessantly accruing and threatening the equity, moving along apace is typically the foreclosing lenders’ goal. This is one arena where lenders really should not lose, because when they do, it is their own fault. The system is tough enough without the foreclosing plaintiff shooting itself in the foot.

Nonetheless, there are a (perhaps) surprising number of instances—especially of late—where foreclosures are dismissed as abandoned for lenders’ lax adherence to a particular timeframe.